This no-frills, old school mentality extends from the discourse to the atmosphere at McLean's Barber Shop. From the hydraulic chairs to the gumball machine and wood paneling, it's traditional and simple.And whether you talk to the cutters or their customers, one common theme is their appreciation of each other.

"The people you meet are just phenomenal," Stan McLean Sr. beams. He says the spectrum of customers reflects "every walk of life you can imagine — surgeons to clergymen to ambassadors." But he is careful to point out that the barber's chair is a great equalizer and that everyone is treated the same way.

As shaggy-haired men file in the door, they either plop into an available chair or pick out a newspaper or magazine and wait. When ready for the next set of ears to lower, either one of the Stans or their longtime employee Harry Catsoulis, known as Harry C., will say "Next gentleman, please" and greet him with something like, "How are ya, guy?" while unfurling the cape around him.

"It's just comfortable," Stan McLean Jr. says. "People come in here and talk to each other."

It's cash only with no electronic screens and no women. But what they lack in modernity, they make up for with loyalty and consistency.

"These people know how to cut hair," says Clark Diehl of Centerville, who adds that he doesn't remember a time when he didn't frequent McLean's. "They are expert barbers. They know exactly how I like to have my hair cut and I don't have to worry."

Stan McLean Sr.'s father, Norman, and his brother, Neil, opened up their doors in 1923, so the shop will celebrate its 90th year in business next year. It has stayed in the McLean family three generations, for its entire existence on Barnstable Road.

Both Stan Sr. and Stan Jr. believe in fostering an assertive and amicable relationship with their clients. The father and son both said on separate occasions, "I'm not a mind reader." They feel strongly about communicating with their customers and having them describe clearly what they want.

Stan McLean Sr. points out that "a desire to make people happy and patience" are key qualities to being successful in his business.

Don Palmer of Centerville, a customer since 1971, explains that his relationship with the barber is what stands out to him. "It's not necessarily the haircut, but it's the people who are doing it," he stipulates. "It's just a friendly barber shop where you're glad to see the guys once a month."